Why So Many Temptations???

[StuBass1]

The Cadillac thing was pure BS...More of the musicians had Cadillac's than did The Temptations...Smokey always had Cadillac's...I know because I used to help his valet Gaylord wash em [[the lime green one was my favorite) LOL...I recall Levi having a Cadillac...Paul had a 66 or 67 Pontiac Catalina...Silver with a black vinyl top..In about 68 he got a Corvette [[yellow as I recall)...

[marv2]

The Cadillac thing was pure BS...More of the musicians had Cadillac's than did The Temptations...Smokey always had Cadillac's...I know because I used to help his valet Gaylord wash em [[the lime green one was my favorite) LOL...I recall Levi having a Cadillac...Paul had a 66 or 67 Pontiac Catalina...Silver with a black vinyl top..In about 68 he got a Corvette [[yellow as I recall)...

Stu, thank you for confirming that! My Dad's favorite car in those days was the Pontiac Catalina also before moved on to the Electra 225's.......... LOL!

[StuBass1]

Deuce and a quarters were the bomb back then...It was The Funk Brothers who went Cadillac crazy as soon as they started making some decent money. They would line em up along West Grand Blvd. Funniest story was Eddie Willis who bought I believe an El Dorado...A month after buying it he decided he didn't like the color, so he went to the local hardware store and yeah...you guess it...painted it red with house paint himself...Talk about depreciation LOL...

[marv2]

Deuce and a quarters were the bomb back then...It was The Funk Brothers who went Cadillac crazy as soon as they started making some decent money. They would line em up along West Grand Blvd. Funniest story was Eddie Willis who bought I believe an El Dorado...A month after buying it he decided he didn't like the color, so he went to the local hardware store and yeah...you guess it...painted it red with house paint himself...Talk about depreciation LOL...

[[Bustin' out laughing here! LOL!!!) Eddie Willis would have been what we called "county" back then! LOL! Yep, yep Deuce and quarters were the s&%t in those days. He had an electric blue one with the white walls. Funny you never hear Berry talk about material things like cars, but then again, he did have the mansion!

[marv2]

Stu, you were able to get into the Upper Deck at the Roostertail right?

[StuBass1]

I was Pauls guest at the Upper Deck [[with my friend Mark Bayoff who I just learned passed away in 2010 I'm sorry to hear. We went to Beatles concerts together and Tempts shows too)when they recorded the Live album...Anyways, we hung out in the dressing room before and after the first show...We were about 15. We stood right next to the guys as they did their little prayer circle ritual they did before all their performances. Many of the Motown people were there coming in and out of the dressing room, including BG and Chris Clark and two of Berrys sons dressed in matching suits...Paul kept sending us to the bar to get him scotch, and we were drinking too...Rules were a little looser those days ...And dear Eddie WIllis...Mississippi all the way LOL

[StuBass1]

I have a very old picture postcard of the Tempts signed by all the guys [[except Otis for some reason). Paul signed it to "My friend Stupid"...which is what he called me since he had never met a Stu before and used to drag me around introducing me as that...Stupid LOL...Otis's manager Billy Bannister wants to hook me and Otis up for a one on one to talk about the old days...I guess I can get Otis to finally sign that picture then LOL...

[detmotownguy]

I was Pauls guest at the Upper Deck [[with my friend Mark Bayoff who I just learned passed away in 2010 I'm sorry to hear. We went to Beatles concerts together and Tempts shows too)when they recorded the Live album...Anyways, we hung out in the dressing room before and after the first show...We were about 15. We stood right next to the guys as they did their little prayer circle ritual they did before all their performances. Many of the Motown people were there coming in and out of the dressing room, including BG and Chris Clark and two of Berrys sons dressed in matching suits...Paul kept sending us to the bar to get him scotch, and we were drinking too...Rules were a little looser those days ...And dear Eddie WIllis...Mississippi all the way LOL

Was Berry dating Chris Clark around this timeframe?

[StuBass1]

Yup...right after his Diana Ross days [[or just before..can't remember)....They were both living at Berrys West Outer Drive house [[not at the same time LOL)...That's the house that Marvin bought when Berry moved to the mansion...

[marv2]

I was Pauls guest at the Upper Deck [[with my friend Mark Bayoff who I just learned passed away in 2010 I'm sorry to hear. We went to Beatles concerts together and Tempts shows too)when they recorded the Live album...Anyways, we hung out in the dressing room before and after the first show...We were about 15. We stood right next to the guys as they did their little prayer circle ritual they did before all their performances. Many of the Motown people were there coming in and out of the dressing room, including BG and Chris Clark and two of Berrys sons dressed in matching suits...Paul kept sending us to the bar to get him scotch, and we were drinking too...Rules were a little looser those days ...And dear Eddie WIllis...Mississippi all the way LOL

Stu, use to wished I were old enough to get into the nightclubs in those days. Even 15 would have been more acceptable than a 6.7. 8 year old LOL! Yeah Eddie Willis just sounds like a country dude to me. I am sorry about the loss of your friend Mark. People come in and out of our lives sometimes we do not realize how important a role they play.

[marv2]

Yup...right after his Diana Ross days [[or just before..can't remember)....They were both living at Berrys West Outer Drive house [[not at the same time LOL)...That's the house that Marvin bought when Berry moved to the mansion...

I've seen those houses. Outer Drive was always a neat street, at least up through the 1980s.

[StuBass1]

Thanks Marv...Yeah...we lost touch when we went to different high school. His mom drove us to the Roostertail which is how I know I wasn't 16 and didn't have a license...Just googled Mark out of the blue and learned of his passing...His mom was very pretty and had great connections for concert and sporting event tickets...

[StuBass1]

W Outer Drive was nice...Funny thing [[or not so funny) is when Berry bought that house from a family named Zack, he actually wanted to buy a house in the more prestigious Sherwood Forest on the other side of Livernois...He couldn't buy the house he really wanted because the owners didn't want to be the first family there to sell their house to a "negro"...Berry Gordy!

[marv2]

W Outer Drive was nice...Funny thing [[or not so funny) is when Berry bought that house from a family named Zack, he actually wanted to buy a house in the more prestigious Sherwood Forest on the other side of Livernois...He couldn't buy the house he really wanted because the owners didn't want to be the first family there to sell their house to a "negro"...Berry Gordy!

Uh huh, I remember when Sherwood Forest was "exclusive" and everyone wanted to live there. I just found out one of my relatives was living in Bloomfield Hills all these years. She passed away last month.

[StuBass1]

Palmer Woods, just east of Sherwood Forest bordering Woodward Ave which was even more exclusive and actually had it in it's covenant that homeowners couldn't sell to
"Negros"...The Fisher Brothers [[General Motors) had their side by side mansions there, as did the Detroit Archbishop who lived in a huge mansion. Not sure when those restrictions ended...probably around 1970. Jews around that time couldn't buy a house in the Grosse Pointe's [[where Anita Baker lives today)...so new money Jews and Blacks leaving Detroit went north to Bloomfield Hills...My mom and dad [[RIP) moved to Bloomfield Hills in around 1979. Anybody could live in Bloomfield Hills if you had the money...

[marv2]

Palmer Woods, just east of Sherwood Forest bordering Woodward Ave which was even more exclusive and actually had it in it's covenant that homeowners couldn't sell to
"Negros"...The Fisher Brothers [[General Motors) had their side by side mansions there, as did the Detroit Archbishop who lived in a huge mansion. Not sure when those restrictions ended...probably around 1970. Jews around that time couldn't buy a house in the Grosse Pointe's [[where Anita Baker lives today)...so new money Jews and Blacks leaving Detroit went north to Bloomfield Hills...My mom and dad [[RIP) moved to Bloomfield Hills in around 1979. Anybody could live in Bloomfield Hills if you had the money...

Stu you got it! It was like when I was a kid you didn't die and go to heaven, you died and got to live in Grosse Point! LOL!

[arr&bee]

Great stuff guys,more,more.

[arr&bee]

Hey marv,if we're still making fun of the movie how bout the scene where otis gets his hair conked and his kid brother says that he looks like he lost a bet,most little brother idolize their big brothers...and by the way does otis have a younger brother?

[marv2]

Hey marv,if we're still making fun of the movie how bout the scene where otis gets his hair conked and his kid brother says that he looks like he lost a bet,most little brother idolize their big brothers...and by the way does otis have a younger brother?

JAI you are right about brothers and how they pick, but I never knew Otis Williams had a brother.

[detmotownguy]

Damn Marv this thread is turning into a mini series of its own lol. Was the portrayal of johnnie mae even close to being historically accurate? Thanks

[StuBass1]

Not to butt in here...but Ms Matthews approached us when I was with The Strides and wanted to manage us...around 1967...We declined as we were about to sign a contract with MS record who did a release on us [[they also had Louis Curry and Lonette McKee)...I knew she was somebody based upon folks knowing who she was...but she appeared to me as some sort of Detroit musical "gadfly"...or maybe I mean "Gatsby"...one or the other... maybe bit of both..

[detmotownguy]

Oh butt in please.....the question was supposed to address the group. I messed up as I am real tired as I have been on the trip from hell so to speak. Thanks for the input.

[marv2]

Damn Marv this thread is turning into a mini series of its own lol. Was the portrayal of johnnie mae even close to being historically accurate? Thanks

I really don't know. I didn't know a lot about her. There was a webisode on SDF some years back that talked about her.

[arr&bee]

Haaaaaaaaaa...historically accurate,we are talking about the temps movie???

[marv2]

Haaaaaaaaaa...historically accurate,we are talking about the temps movie???

It was a nice story made for TV. The real story has not been told yet.

[midnightman]

The Tempts' movie was full of errors [[error on top of error on top of error).

First off:

*They picked the wrong men for Otis and Melvin. The light-skinned one should've played Melvin [[but he lacked Melvin's deep voice), the dark-skinned one should've played Otis [[but he was too deep in his voice to emulate Otis). [[I know it was already mentioned by y'all but I was also bothered by that lol)

*The Primes and Primettes never really sang together and the Primettes weren't that polished [[least from what I heard) lol plus only two Primes? LOL

*The man who played Berry Gordy, it seemed like they were trying to find a Billy Dee Williams character to play him. No one has yet to play Berry Gordy for how he looked, sounded [[high pitched) and acted [[maybe if a BG-approved MG film is made - Cameron Crowe, hope you're still planning that film - they can finally make the corrections for it).

*Johnnie Mae Matthews may have been tough willed but I doubt she was rightfully portrayed. Plus she was a businesswoman. In that scene where the Tempts are singing "My Girl" [[probably at Ed Sullivan's show, they don't say but the set looked Sullivan-ish), they locate her in some apartment making her look like she was still making ends meet when that wasn't the case, she might've not had hit records nationally but she was big time in Detroit.

*The aforementioned Al Bryant-Paul Williams fight: Paul was the one who didn't wanna perform, Al did. A fight ensued, the bottle and Al was fired by Otis almost immediately [[he didn't quit, I don't think, as it's seen in the film).

*Also did the actual Temptations with Ruff actually sing "Shout"? I could've sworn they sung another song where David did his moves?

*Al Bryant was light skinned as well. You mean they couldn't find a "bronze-skinned" brother to play Al? Lol

*Otis, I think, was an only child, so I'm surprised about a brother being in the house since he was only seen in early scenes of the film.

*Otis described the first time he approached Melvin to join the Siberians, Melvin was spooked by him dressed in all leather and his hair all conked with his pencil mustache [[Melvin thought Otis was a gang member/hooligan) until Otis finally cornered him and said "I just want you to join my group" so why in the scene where the chase happened was Otis still wearing non-offensive looking clothes?! LOL

*In a spoof, when the "classic Tempts" lineup first enter Hitsville to record "The Way You Do the Things You Do", Otis is without his mustache, go into the studio, mustache appears magically lmao

*Why was Tammi Terrell dark skinned in the movie??? They had Tammi looking like Diana! o_O And Diana was light skinned [[huh???)

*David's limo looked tragic compared to the real thing. XD

*I'm sure when David was voted out of the Tempts, there was NO scene of David making some dramatic "I made y'all a$$es" statement. Cornelius Grant, I think, said David got the news from phone and told Cornelius "they're gonna beg for me back". Heard he cried too. Eddie was the only one who didn't vote him out, hence why they remained friends.

*While it's true Otis got tired of David jumping in to perform with the group, it was a gradual process. I don't know if a fight occurred the last time David jumped in but security stopped him from jumping in at another Tempts show. After that, David released "My Whole World Ended".

*I agree about Richard Street. Looked nothing like him.

*Was Paul REALLY that tore up onstage from alcohol? I mean not saying that didn't happen but it looked...weird. I'm sure the sickle cell was messing him up [[he was really sick with that and that might've affected his performances as well, T-Boz and Georgeanna Tillman's son can tell you having sickle cell is no picnic).

*Of course in another dramatic scene they had Paul screaming, drunkenly, at the Hitsville offices after a car tried to run him over, then he cried and sped away only to commit suicide later. Also wasn't Paul separated from his wife at the time? I doubt they were fighting that night.

*The scene where the Tempts are cutting Papa Was a Rolling Stone had a few spoofs in it: Damon Harris looked weird with a mustache [[he looked like Larenz Tate???) and Dennis sings two parts instead of letting Richard Street's character sing his part [[wtf) though I imagine they got the look of anger right since they didn't wanna do anymore of Norman's songs [[that was the big argument, not the lyric of "the third of September").

*Also, why did they forget to put a mustache on Eddie until 1974? Lol

*Wasn't Otis' family living in Las Vegas at the time before Otis' mother died [[I don't know if the family was still living in Detroit around the time of that scene, around 1980) and when did she die? Any of you Tempts fans know?

*They really showed Eddie and David to be "pr*cks" in the second half of the film but I doubt it was really like that. Eddie might've been moody but he was a team player [[David was always a non-conformist but that was his nature) and he was crushed when they fired him from the Tempts. That, and other issues, might've been why Eddie didn't talk to Otis that night of their 1989 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite that scene where Eddie congratulates him and tells him the other trophy was "for Paul" [[though Eddie did say that in public at the ceremony).

*Also, no, David was not thrown from some moving car, someone took him to the hospital and they found out who he was and tried treating him before it was too late. As David, Jr. said, "my dad didn't die in a crack house, he died in a hospital". And he was treated as a legend [[which he should be). He wasn't no "John Doe" as the movie claims smh

*And oh yeah Melvin dying in his mom's house in Detroit. Dramatic purposes. We know he died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of seizures... Melvin's mother was so incensed she sued Otis and NBC but they ruled in NBC/Otis' favor because they got away with the "loosely based" adjective. I also think David and Paul's families sued NBC/Otis [[not sure about Eddie's).

----
I guess when a film has that many errors, it's not enjoyable to watch. Same can be said about the Jacksons' movie.

[arr&bee]

I've often said that although i like the temps movie,i would like to see a serious one made with spike lee directing,i've also said that maybe folks have been too hard on otis for the movie,ms.dupasse is the one we should be mad at...great points midnightman,the film made the temps look a little square,for instance there is a picture of the fellas backstage with some other guys who look like gangsters but in the film they seem surprised when david shows up with his pal[flen]there were always guys hanging out backstage with the group as otis stated about the dude who used to rub david's shoulders after performances and say...you know they're coming to see you papa...maybe one day some one will make a serious version but til then we'll have to make do with our[fantasy]version...temptations forever!!

[marv2]

The Tempts' movie was full of errors [[error on top of error on top of error).

First off:

*They picked the wrong men for Otis and Melvin. The light-skinned one should've played Melvin [[but he lacked Melvin's deep voice), the dark-skinned one should've played Otis [[but he was too deep in his voice to emulate Otis). [[I know it was already mentioned by y'all but I was also bothered by that lol)

*The Primes and Primettes never really sang together and the Primettes weren't that polished [[least from what I heard) lol plus only two Primes? LOL

*The man who played Berry Gordy, it seemed like they were trying to find a Billy Dee Williams character to play him. No one has yet to play Berry Gordy for how he looked, sounded [[high pitched) and acted [[maybe if a BG-approved MG film is made - Cameron Crowe, hope you're still planning that film - they can finally make the corrections for it).

*Johnnie Mae Matthews may have been tough willed but I doubt she was rightfully portrayed. Plus she was a businesswoman. In that scene where the Tempts are singing "My Girl" [[probably at Ed Sullivan's show, they don't say but the set looked Sullivan-ish), they locate her in some apartment making her look like she was still making ends meet when that wasn't the case, she might've not had hit records nationally but she was big time in Detroit.

*The aforementioned Al Bryant-Paul Williams fight: Paul was the one who didn't wanna perform, Al did. A fight ensued, the bottle and Al was fired by Otis almost immediately [[he didn't quit, I don't think, as it's seen in the film).

*Also did the actual Temptations with Ruff actually sing "Shout"? I could've sworn they sung another song where David did his moves?

*Al Bryant was light skinned as well. You mean they couldn't find a "bronze-skinned" brother to play Al? Lol

*Otis, I think, was an only child, so I'm surprised about a brother being in the house since he was only seen in early scenes of the film.

*Otis described the first time he approached Melvin to join the Siberians, Melvin was spooked by him dressed in all leather and his hair all conked with his pencil mustache [[Melvin thought Otis was a gang member/hooligan) until Otis finally cornered him and said "I just want you to join my group" so why in the scene where the chase happened was Otis still wearing non-offensive looking clothes?! LOL

*In a spoof, when the "classic Tempts" lineup first enter Hitsville to record "The Way You Do the Things You Do", Otis is without his mustache, go into the studio, mustache appears magically lmao

*Why was Tammi Terrell dark skinned in the movie??? They had Tammi looking like Diana! o_O And Diana was light skinned [[huh???)

*David's limo looked tragic compared to the real thing. XD

*I'm sure when David was voted out of the Tempts, there was NO scene of David making some dramatic "I made y'all a$$es" statement. Cornelius Grant, I think, said David got the news from phone and told Cornelius "they're gonna beg for me back". Heard he cried too. Eddie was the only one who didn't vote him out, hence why they remained friends.

*While it's true Otis got tired of David jumping in to perform with the group, it was a gradual process. I don't know if a fight occurred the last time David jumped in but security stopped him from jumping in at another Tempts show. After that, David released "My Whole World Ended".

*I agree about Richard Street. Looked nothing like him.

*Was Paul REALLY that tore up onstage from alcohol? I mean not saying that didn't happen but it looked...weird. I'm sure the sickle cell was messing him up [[he was really sick with that and that might've affected his performances as well, T-Boz and Georgeanna Tillman's son can tell you having sickle cell is no picnic).

*Of course in another dramatic scene they had Paul screaming, drunkenly, at the Hitsville offices after a car tried to run him over, then he cried and sped away only to commit suicide later. Also wasn't Paul separated from his wife at the time? I doubt they were fighting that night.

*The scene where the Tempts are cutting Papa Was a Rolling Stone had a few spoofs in it: Damon Harris looked weird with a mustache [[he looked like Larenz Tate???) and Dennis sings two parts instead of letting Richard Street's character sing his part [[wtf) though I imagine they got the look of anger right since they didn't wanna do anymore of Norman's songs [[that was the big argument, not the lyric of "the third of September").

*Also, why did they forget to put a mustache on Eddie until 1974? Lol

*Wasn't Otis' family living in Las Vegas at the time before Otis' mother died [[I don't know if the family was still living in Detroit around the time of that scene, around 1980) and when did she die? Any of you Tempts fans know?

*They really showed Eddie and David to be "pr*cks" in the second half of the film but I doubt it was really like that. Eddie might've been moody but he was a team player [[David was always a non-conformist but that was his nature) and he was crushed when they fired him from the Tempts. That, and other issues, might've been why Eddie didn't talk to Otis that night of their 1989 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite that scene where Eddie congratulates him and tells him the other trophy was "for Paul" [[though Eddie did say that in public at the ceremony).

*Also, no, David was not thrown from some moving car, someone took him to the hospital and they found out who he was and tried treating him before it was too late. As David, Jr. said, "my dad didn't die in a crack house, he died in a hospital". And he was treated as a legend [[which he should be). He wasn't no "John Doe" as the movie claims smh

*And oh yeah Melvin dying in his mom's house in Detroit. Dramatic purposes. We know he died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of seizures... Melvin's mother was so incensed she sued Otis and NBC but they ruled in NBC/Otis' favor because they got away with the "loosely based" adjective. I also think David and Paul's families sued NBC/Otis [[not sure about Eddie's).

----
I guess when a film has that many errors, it's not enjoyable to watch. Same can be said about the Jacksons' movie.

Get down Midnightman!!!

[StuBass1]

To be fair...While I've heard from some Motown insiders through the years about what they claim to be a few factual inaccuracies, [[including a few mentioned here) in Otis's book and the film, it does give a fairly accurate portrayal about the foundation, personalities, and historical viewpoint of The Temptations...Obviously, any person telling the story will skew details to their own perspective, and anyone trying to sell a book or film will always take some sort of editorial license in making the storyline more interesting and viewer friendly...As for the casting for the film, it's more important to get actors who capture the essence of a character than exactly their height, weight, and exact hairstyle...Otherwise, at 5'6" or so...Tom Cruise would hardly ever get an acting gig...Most people I know who were not Motown insiders but fans of The Temptations music enjoyed the film, although I often find myself explaining or clarifying certain aspects of the film to them.

[arr&bee]

I hear ya stu,i have the movie and pull it out about once a year,the actors do a great job it's the storyline,oh well leon was nominated for an emmy for his portrayal of david so that's a positive...temptations forever!!

[jboy88]

The Tempts' movie was full of errors [[error on top of error on top of error).

First off:

*They picked the wrong men for Otis and Melvin. The light-skinned one should've played Melvin [[but he lacked Melvin's deep voice), the dark-skinned one should've played Otis [[but he was too deep in his voice to emulate Otis). [[I know it was already mentioned by y'all but I was also bothered by that lol)

*The Primes and Primettes never really sang together and the Primettes weren't that polished [[least from what I heard) lol plus only two Primes? LOL

*The man who played Berry Gordy, it seemed like they were trying to find a Billy Dee Williams character to play him. No one has yet to play Berry Gordy for how he looked, sounded [[high pitched) and acted [[maybe if a BG-approved MG film is made - Cameron Crowe, hope you're still planning that film - they can finally make the corrections for it).

*Johnnie Mae Matthews may have been tough willed but I doubt she was rightfully portrayed. Plus she was a businesswoman. In that scene where the Tempts are singing "My Girl" [[probably at Ed Sullivan's show, they don't say but the set looked Sullivan-ish), they locate her in some apartment making her look like she was still making ends meet when that wasn't the case, she might've not had hit records nationally but she was big time in Detroit.

*The aforementioned Al Bryant-Paul Williams fight: Paul was the one who didn't wanna perform, Al did. A fight ensued, the bottle and Al was fired by Otis almost immediately [[he didn't quit, I don't think, as it's seen in the film).

*Also did the actual Temptations with Ruff actually sing "Shout"? I could've sworn they sung another song where David did his moves?

*Al Bryant was light skinned as well. You mean they couldn't find a "bronze-skinned" brother to play Al? Lol

*Otis, I think, was an only child, so I'm surprised about a brother being in the house since he was only seen in early scenes of the film.

*Otis described the first time he approached Melvin to join the Siberians, Melvin was spooked by him dressed in all leather and his hair all conked with his pencil mustache [[Melvin thought Otis was a gang member/hooligan) until Otis finally cornered him and said "I just want you to join my group" so why in the scene where the chase happened was Otis still wearing non-offensive looking clothes?! LOL

*In a spoof, when the "classic Tempts" lineup first enter Hitsville to record "The Way You Do the Things You Do", Otis is without his mustache, go into the studio, mustache appears magically lmao

*Why was Tammi Terrell dark skinned in the movie??? They had Tammi looking like Diana! o_O And Diana was light skinned [[huh???)

*David's limo looked tragic compared to the real thing. XD

*I'm sure when David was voted out of the Tempts, there was NO scene of David making some dramatic "I made y'all a$$es" statement. Cornelius Grant, I think, said David got the news from phone and told Cornelius "they're gonna beg for me back". Heard he cried too. Eddie was the only one who didn't vote him out, hence why they remained friends.

*While it's true Otis got tired of David jumping in to perform with the group, it was a gradual process. I don't know if a fight occurred the last time David jumped in but security stopped him from jumping in at another Tempts show. After that, David released "My Whole World Ended".

*I agree about Richard Street. Looked nothing like him.

*Was Paul REALLY that tore up onstage from alcohol? I mean not saying that didn't happen but it looked...weird. I'm sure the sickle cell was messing him up [[he was really sick with that and that might've affected his performances as well, T-Boz and Georgeanna Tillman's son can tell you having sickle cell is no picnic).

*Of course in another dramatic scene they had Paul screaming, drunkenly, at the Hitsville offices after a car tried to run him over, then he cried and sped away only to commit suicide later. Also wasn't Paul separated from his wife at the time? I doubt they were fighting that night.

*The scene where the Tempts are cutting Papa Was a Rolling Stone had a few spoofs in it: Damon Harris looked weird with a mustache [[he looked like Larenz Tate???) and Dennis sings two parts instead of letting Richard Street's character sing his part [[wtf) though I imagine they got the look of anger right since they didn't wanna do anymore of Norman's songs [[that was the big argument, not the lyric of "the third of September").

*Also, why did they forget to put a mustache on Eddie until 1974? Lol

*Wasn't Otis' family living in Las Vegas at the time before Otis' mother died [[I don't know if the family was still living in Detroit around the time of that scene, around 1980) and when did she die? Any of you Tempts fans know?

*They really showed Eddie and David to be "pr*cks" in the second half of the film but I doubt it was really like that. Eddie might've been moody but he was a team player [[David was always a non-conformist but that was his nature) and he was crushed when they fired him from the Tempts. That, and other issues, might've been why Eddie didn't talk to Otis that night of their 1989 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite that scene where Eddie congratulates him and tells him the other trophy was "for Paul" [[though Eddie did say that in public at the ceremony).

*Also, no, David was not thrown from some moving car, someone took him to the hospital and they found out who he was and tried treating him before it was too late. As David, Jr. said, "my dad didn't die in a crack house, he died in a hospital". And he was treated as a legend [[which he should be). He wasn't no "John Doe" as the movie claims smh

*And oh yeah Melvin dying in his mom's house in Detroit. Dramatic purposes. We know he died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of seizures... Melvin's mother was so incensed she sued Otis and NBC but they ruled in NBC/Otis' favor because they got away with the "loosely based" adjective. I also think David and Paul's families sued NBC/Otis [[not sure about Eddie's)

That not even half of it

Al didn't do nearly as much singing in real life as he does in the film. Richard [[who got a raw deal in his portrayal) was the lead on "Come On" and it wasn't recorded in the basement of the radio station with three other musicians either.

I can see why they twisted the fight with Al and Paul around. Since Al was always a wet-blanket, it'd be pretty hard to believe HE'D want to go out for an encore.

Otis's son died after the reunion tour and wasn't informed by Melvin. The real story of how he found out, is a lot sadder IMO!

Also, David and Eddie had families as well as Otis and Paul.

I agree their should be another film to tell the story right.

[marv2]

The Tempts' movie was full of errors [[error on top of error on top of error).

First off:

*They picked the wrong men for Otis and Melvin. The light-skinned one should've played Melvin [[but he lacked Melvin's deep voice), the dark-skinned one should've played Otis [[but he was too deep in his voice to emulate Otis). [[I know it was already mentioned by y'all but I was also bothered by that lol)

*The Primes and Primettes never really sang together and the Primettes weren't that polished [[least from what I heard) lol plus only two Primes? LOL

*The man who played Berry Gordy, it seemed like they were trying to find a Billy Dee Williams character to play him. No one has yet to play Berry Gordy for how he looked, sounded [[high pitched) and acted [[maybe if a BG-approved MG film is made - Cameron Crowe, hope you're still planning that film - they can finally make the corrections for it).

*Johnnie Mae Matthews may have been tough willed but I doubt she was rightfully portrayed. Plus she was a businesswoman. In that scene where the Tempts are singing "My Girl" [[probably at Ed Sullivan's show, they don't say but the set looked Sullivan-ish), they locate her in some apartment making her look like she was still making ends meet when that wasn't the case, she might've not had hit records nationally but she was big time in Detroit.

*The aforementioned Al Bryant-Paul Williams fight: Paul was the one who didn't wanna perform, Al did. A fight ensued, the bottle and Al was fired by Otis almost immediately [[he didn't quit, I don't think, as it's seen in the film).

*Also did the actual Temptations with Ruff actually sing "Shout"? I could've sworn they sung another song where David did his moves?

*Al Bryant was light skinned as well. You mean they couldn't find a "bronze-skinned" brother to play Al? Lol

*Otis, I think, was an only child, so I'm surprised about a brother being in the house since he was only seen in early scenes of the film.

*Otis described the first time he approached Melvin to join the Siberians, Melvin was spooked by him dressed in all leather and his hair all conked with his pencil mustache [[Melvin thought Otis was a gang member/hooligan) until Otis finally cornered him and said "I just want you to join my group" so why in the scene where the chase happened was Otis still wearing non-offensive looking clothes?! LOL

*In a spoof, when the "classic Tempts" lineup first enter Hitsville to record "The Way You Do the Things You Do", Otis is without his mustache, go into the studio, mustache appears magically lmao

*Why was Tammi Terrell dark skinned in the movie??? They had Tammi looking like Diana! o_O And Diana was light skinned [[huh???)

*David's limo looked tragic compared to the real thing. XD

*I'm sure when David was voted out of the Tempts, there was NO scene of David making some dramatic "I made y'all a$$es" statement. Cornelius Grant, I think, said David got the news from phone and told Cornelius "they're gonna beg for me back". Heard he cried too. Eddie was the only one who didn't vote him out, hence why they remained friends.

*While it's true Otis got tired of David jumping in to perform with the group, it was a gradual process. I don't know if a fight occurred the last time David jumped in but security stopped him from jumping in at another Tempts show. After that, David released "My Whole World Ended".

*I agree about Richard Street. Looked nothing like him.

*Was Paul REALLY that tore up onstage from alcohol? I mean not saying that didn't happen but it looked...weird. I'm sure the sickle cell was messing him up [[he was really sick with that and that might've affected his performances as well, T-Boz and Georgeanna Tillman's son can tell you having sickle cell is no picnic).

*Of course in another dramatic scene they had Paul screaming, drunkenly, at the Hitsville offices after a car tried to run him over, then he cried and sped away only to commit suicide later. Also wasn't Paul separated from his wife at the time? I doubt they were fighting that night.

*The scene where the Tempts are cutting Papa Was a Rolling Stone had a few spoofs in it: Damon Harris looked weird with a mustache [[he looked like Larenz Tate???) and Dennis sings two parts instead of letting Richard Street's character sing his part [[wtf) though I imagine they got the look of anger right since they didn't wanna do anymore of Norman's songs [[that was the big argument, not the lyric of "the third of September").

*Also, why did they forget to put a mustache on Eddie until 1974? Lol

*Wasn't Otis' family living in Las Vegas at the time before Otis' mother died [[I don't know if the family was still living in Detroit around the time of that scene, around 1980) and when did she die? Any of you Tempts fans know?

*They really showed Eddie and David to be "pr*cks" in the second half of the film but I doubt it was really like that. Eddie might've been moody but he was a team player [[David was always a non-conformist but that was his nature) and he was crushed when they fired him from the Tempts. That, and other issues, might've been why Eddie didn't talk to Otis that night of their 1989 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite that scene where Eddie congratulates him and tells him the other trophy was "for Paul" [[though Eddie did say that in public at the ceremony).

*Also, no, David was not thrown from some moving car, someone took him to the hospital and they found out who he was and tried treating him before it was too late. As David, Jr. said, "my dad didn't die in a crack house, he died in a hospital". And he was treated as a legend [[which he should be). He wasn't no "John Doe" as the movie claims smh

*And oh yeah Melvin dying in his mom's house in Detroit. Dramatic purposes. We know he died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of seizures... Melvin's mother was so incensed she sued Otis and NBC but they ruled in NBC/Otis' favor because they got away with the "loosely based" adjective. I also think David and Paul's families sued NBC/Otis [[not sure about Eddie's).

----
I guess when a film has that many errors, it's not enjoyable to watch. Same can be said about the Jacksons' movie.

According to Richard Street [[I am reading his book as time permits....) none of the Temptations or their Estates received any money from that movie other than Otis Williams.

[midnightman]

^^ Yeah Lamont Williams died in 1983 and Richard Street was definitely the lead singer of "Come On". I don't think Al did that many leads anyway. Richard got one of the rawest deals of that film and I see why, as you said Marv, he nor were the other Temptations that were portrayed in the film, were paid.

[StuBass1]

^^ Yeah Lamont Williams died in 1983 and Richard Street was definitely the lead singer of "Come On". I don't think Al did that many leads anyway. Richard got one of the rawest deals of that film and I see why, as you said Marv, he nor were the other Temptations that were portrayed in the film, were paid.

Any more than any of the featured characters were paid in Henry Hill's book which became the film "Goodfellas"...It was a book by Otis based on his recollections. As much as I recall with fondness all of the classic Temptations...why would their heirs get royalties over anyone else's literary project???... It just doesn't work like that, and I can give dozens of examples...If Dennis wrote a book about his Temptations experiences, would Otis or anyone else expect check? And I'm sure Otis is not on the speed dial of Richards widow in the event Richards book produces a significant profit...While it's indeed sad that Otis is the only surviving Classic Temptation, it's his story to tell...

[midnightman]

^ Which is why it's a shame David and Eddie never told their sides of the story... it was definitely a biased, one-sided view of the group but I do agree about royalties though.

[marv2]

^ Which is why it's a shame David and Eddie never told their sides of the story... it was definitely a biased, one-sided view of the group but I do agree about royalties though.

The program " Unsung" went a little way in telling the stories of Eddie and David, but much more could be done. I can tell that both led very interesting lives before becoming famous.

[marv2]

My brother and I watched part of the Temptations movie this evening and more inaccuracies were spotted and I know...........because I was there! LOL The scene about the impromptu reunion of Eddie and David on stage did not happen like that at all! It happened during Mary Wilson's gala New Year Eve's concert at the Premier Center in Sterling Heights, MI on December 31, 1984 when David came up out of the audience [[directly behind where we were sitting) and walked up to the stage singing! I was there!

[arr&bee]

Blue told a story about a guy who had auditioned and was set to perform with them but got drunk and full of fear so they let him go.

[marv2]

Blue told a story about a guy who had auditioned and was set to perform with them but got drunk and full of fear so they let him go.

Same thing seem to happen like that to several Temptations candidates down through the years. They never made it past auditions. They even rejected Ali the first time because of his hair color LOL!

[StuBass1]

Not to wander off topic, but Jai's last post reminds me of a story Robert White told...Several Funk Brothers were asked to go down south [[possibly Atlanta) to play a session for producer who wanted to get that Motown sound for his project. Prior to the session, Jamerson got so messed up he couldn't make it to the studio...They found the supposed baddest bass player in the area...knew all the tunes and the reputation of being "the man" around town. Came walking into the studio and asked..."Just WHO got sick"??? The guys replied..."James Jamerson"...Robert swore the guy stopped dead in his tracks, abruptly turned right around, walked right out of the studio, and they never heard from him again..

[marv2]

Not to wander off topic, but Jai's last post reminds me of a story Robert White told...Several Funk Brothers were asked to go down south [[possibly Atlanta) to play a session for producer who wanted to get that Motown sound for his project. Prior to the session, Jamerson got so messed up he couldn't make it to the studio...They found the supposed baddest bass player in the area...knew all the tunes and the reputation of being "the man" around town. Came walking into the studio and asked..."Just WHO got sick"??? The guys replied..."James Jamerson"...Robert swore the guy stopped dead in his tracks, abruptly turned right around, walked right out of the studio, and they never heard from him again..

that is a great story Stu! hehehehehehehehehe.....!

[arr&bee]

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,hey stu,i would've ran to.

[midnightman]

The bassist had the right idea. "James Jamerson walked out?! F*CK THAT!" LOL

[marv2]

Someone asked me about Johnnie Mae Matthews, well here she is being honored in Detroit:

[marv2]

The Temptations "MESSAGE FROM A BLACK MAN "

[marv2]

How many of you know or remember that Damon Harris scored with his group Impact with "Happy Man". This has a strong Philly Soul sound to it. It did get some radio airplay back in the day......

[marv2]

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/k...elated_stories



The Temptations founder Otis Williams on Detroit, a new Broadway production and the hard knocks of show business


KALAMAZOO, MI -- In January, Otis Williams, the last living original member of the legendary Motown group The Temptations, will celebrate 55 years in show business.
If you go
The Temptations
What: Legendary Motown group will perform their hits When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 [[doors open at 7 p.m.)
Where: Kalamazoo State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St. Cost: $33, $39, $69 and $85 for VIP [[meet-and-greet) Contact: 269-345-6500, www.kazoostate.com
Also performing
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14
Where: Andiamo Celebrity Room, 7096 E. 14 Mile Road, Warren
Cost: $25, $60, $65 and $75
Contact: 586-268-3200, www.andiamoitalia.com

The 72-year-old baritone was born in Texas and moved to Detroit with his family at 11. In 1958, Williams and bandmates in The Distants scored a Detroit hit. In 1961, Williams and Co. signed to Motown Records.

For the next five decades, with help from songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson, The Temptations released some of the industry's most iconic songs, including "My Girl," "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and many more. The group's style and lineup has changed significantly over the decades. Williams has lived it.

He's shared much of the group's history in various forms and is in the midst of planning a Broadway production about The Temptations. Without giving up too much -- "I don't want to jinx it until all the papers are signed" -- Williams said he wants the public to understand the "mechanics" behind the finished product fans see on stage. From deaths to personality conflicts to the demands of the road, Williams stressed there's more than the glitzy lifestyle people may assume.

"I would like for them to understand the hard knocks, the misunderstandings and the sacrifices it takes to be successful," he said.

Williams said during a phone interview from his home in Los Angeles, California, he will have his "fingerprints and toeprints" all over the play.

He said he shares his lessons with many people in the entertainment world.

"First of all, you've got to love it. Show business can be giving and unforgiving. There's a lot you go through. It's not just all the sucesses. There are a lot of down times you'll have in show business," he said.

Meanwhile, The Temptations -- Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon and Bruce Williamson -- continue to perform their biggest hits on tour. The group will high step its way through Kalamazoo when the members perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. Tickets range from $25 to $85 for the VIP tickets that include a meet-and-greet with the band.

Williams said he knows Kalamazoo well as he's played here many times over the years. He's also performed several times with fellow "Motownians," The Velvelettes, who were founded in 1961 by Sisters Cal Street and Millie Gill-Arbour and sisters Bertha Barbee-McNeal and Norma Barbee-Fairhurst. Barbee-McNeal and Gill-Arbour were students at Western Michigan University. The group had a series of R&B hits including "Needle in a Haystack," which peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard charts. Barbee-McNeal and Street live in Kalamazoo, while the other members live in Flint.

Williams said "Motown," the Broadway musical now on tour around the country, provided a nice glimpse into the creation of the groundbreaking record label. It also afforded him the chance to "stroll down memory lane" with other members of the famous music imprint from Detroit.

"It was memorable," he said of the seeing the musical. "A lot of our cronies weren't there because they've passed on.

"I'm just glad to be part of it, to feel the value and appreciation on how Motown was conceived. It was great to be part of," he said.

From Los Angeles, Williams said he keeps tabs on Detroit and continue to root for the city. He said he was encouraged by recent news of the city's plan to shed more than $7 billion in debt through bankruptcy court.

"I'm glad to hear they are trying to revitalize Detroit. I love Detroit. I'm sorry to see it going through what it's gone through the last 30 years or so," he said.

As for the concert in Kalamazoo, Williams said to expect the classic sounds, style and moves of The Temptations.

"We will definitely be coming to Kalamazoo to do what we are known for," Williams said. "We'll keep it kind of all Temptations with a few added dimensions thrown in."

John Liberty covers entertainment for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Call him at 269-370-7372, email him at jlibert1@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.

[marv2]

I always found it interesting that in the first couple of years after David Ruffin was no longer a member of the Temptations that he toured with his backing group called "The Fellas". Interesting in that David started out as a solo artist, joined a group and could not give up the "group" set up very easily in the early stages of his solo career after the Tempts.

[detmotownguy]

Someone asked me about Johnnie Mae Matthews, well here she is being honored in Detroit:

This is exactly what I was looking for thanks

[marv2]

This is exactly what I was looking for thanks

You are most welcome. Did you also get to check out the info on Ms. Matthews on SDF in the Webisodes?